Embracing Fiction with H.P. Lovecraft and The Power of Dreaming

All my life, any writing I've done has been in the form of journaling, writing down song lyrics, dabbling in poetry and various other forms of non-fiction creative writing. These days, I find myself more intrigued with the idea of writing fiction of all things. Although this idea completely freaks me out, I think I'm beginning to see a little light shed on this path, to figure out how it can be done--at least for me. As I've said in a previous post, I only know how to tell the truth--that is--to reiterate what I have already experienced. Now I'm beginning to break down the colossal mystery of 'telling a story', and actually understand how it can be done: Why not use the power of my sometimes devastating dreams to fuel 'stories'? Because I can assure you, I have been blessed with a surprisingly vivid imagination, and the power to recall minute details of nearly every dream, right down to the mood in the air, emotions, thoughts, the weather...you name it. A lengthy process to be sure, but if my half-German/Gemini mind is beginning to grasp this concept, I just may be able to make this a reality.

I have touted the mastermind that is Stephen King, a writer I relate to so strongly not because of what he writes, but because of his simple way of 'telling the truth'. That I understand.That makes sense to me. And recently, I have connected with another mastermind writer; H.P. Lovecraft, thanks to the genius that is Neil Gaiman. Already being a Poe fan (Edgar Allan, that is), this is a natural progression, albeit a delayed one. But as I've said before, I'm a very late bloomer. Poe can be daunting at times, as the language he uses is very hard to decipher when one is not used to Victorian era English. Lovecraft however, 'speaks' flowery, yet clearly, which for horror fiction I find a most interesting dichotomy. Along with his excellent (and sometimes hilariously gruesome) style of description, his stories scream the truth to me, and I feel as though I have truly found a friend and co-conspirator. Incidentally, if you want a complete Lovecraft collection in a digital format, the biggest bang for your buck (literally) is The Complete Works of H.P. Lovecraft ebook for Kindle (or Kindle app on the iPhone) which was graciously compiled by Ruth at CthulhuChick.com.

Hopefully, between my crazy ass dreams and the inspirations from Mr. Lovecraft, I just may be able to come up with something worthwhile. Stay tuned to find out! Happy writing!